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Donald Sword and Enrico Babie in a promotional shot for Galileo. The promotional photos were all taken at the historic observatory at St Ignatius' College, Riverview. Built in 1908, it was one of Australia's premier astronomical and seismological research centres through the first half of the 20th century.

Epicentre Theatre revisits Galileo's dilemma*

Galileo’s proof that the Earth revolves around the Sun shatters a belief held sacred for two thousand years.

Branded a heretic and threatened with torture, Galileo faces a terrible choice — personal integrity versus intellectual sell-out.

Penned on the brink of World War II, Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo is one of the greatest plays ever written about social responsibility and the conflict between reason and faith.

British playwright David Hare’s trademark wit and intelligence shine brightly in this dazzling new adaptation of Brecht’s masterpiece.

This production — in the International Year of Astronomy — also marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's proof that the Earth goes round the Sun.

Epicentre Theatre Company’s production of The Life of Galileo in Chatswood’s Zenith Theatre is directed by John Harrison and features Donald Sword in the title role, with Ben Williams, Justine Kacir, Randa Sayed, Pascal Herington, Enrico Babic, Morgan Derera, Alisa Hawkins, Paul Sztelma, Alan Dearth, Matt Cook, Tim Hunter, Katherine Cassidy, Constantine Costi, Maddy Renshaw, Allin V Boghossian, Anna Bamford, Bede Kennedy, Ashleigh Sladden, and six young Riverview students Josh McElroy, Xavier Costa, Bailey Elith (Year 7), Zac McNamee, Xavier Eales and James Navybox (Year 6).

Choreography is by Ann Flowers, lighting by Andrew Weston and original music by George Cartledge.

Epicentre Theatre is one of Sydney’s outstanding community theatre companies. Its recent productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2008), The Laramie Project and To Kill a Mockingbird (2009) have garnered critical praise and attracted sell-out audiences from all over Sydney — and beyond.

Galileo is the final production in the company’s 2009 trilogy of great theatre works themed around courage in the face of prejudice.

It will run at the Zenith Theatre, Chatswood, from 29 August to 12 Sep.

*Based on media release issued by Epicentre Theatre Company.